The first continental phase of the SBC programme. Two intercontinental corridors — SBC #1 Brisbane to Perth and SBC #2 Darwin to Adelaide — built to the full MMC-VA five-level viaduct standard. Together with the Alice Hub PHES (40 GW pumped hydro at 770m head, 32-day sovereign energy reserve), Phase 1 establishes the continental energy and water sovereignty backbone that the rest of the network depends on.
Phase 1 deploys the full MMC-VA five-level viaduct (freight at 8m, aqueduct at 17m, services at 26m, hyperloop reservation at 37m, maglev at 50m) on two intercontinental corridors. These corridors connect the eastern seaboard to the west and the north to the south, opening up the continental interior to integrated freight, energy, water, and passenger service.
| SBC #1 | Brisbane to Perth — ~4,000km — east–west continental corridor connecting the eastern and western seaboards across the Nullarbor |
| SBC #2 | Darwin to Adelaide — ~2,400km — north–south continental corridor through Alice Springs and the Alice Hub PHES |
| Configuration | MMC-VA — dual-leg, five-level viaduct (the full continental standard) |
| Service levels | Level 1 freight (8m), Level 2 transcontinental aqueduct (17m), Level 3 services — gas, hydrogen, fibre, distribution (26m), Level 4 hyperloop reservation (37m), Level 5 maglev passenger (50m) |
| Anchor project | Alice Hub PHES — 40 GW pumped hydro, ~30 TWh storage, transcontinental aqueduct hub |
| Status | Proposed — corridor sequencing and detailed engineering memos pending Phase 0 commitment |
Route alignment is indicative. The corridor shown on the project map is a suggested alignment based on the current planning case. Final geometry is subject to detailed engineering — terrain survey, geotechnical analysis, environmental and cultural heritage assessment, and stakeholder consultation will determine the final alignment at detailed design.
Phase 1 also delivers the Alice Hub Pumped Hydro Energy Storage system — a continental-scale energy reserve in the MacDonnell gorges south of Alice Springs. 40 GW pumped hydro at 770m head, ~30 TWh storage, 32-day sovereign energy reserve. Phased build over 15 years from Phase 1 start. The Alice Hub anchors the SBC #2 Darwin–Adelaide corridor at its centre and provides the continental energy and water reserve that the rest of the network depends on.
The transcontinental aqueduct — a 17m × 10m sealed pressurised water main carried on Level 2 of the MMC-VA viaduct — runs through Phase 1 corridors, pumped uphill to Alice Hub and gravity-fed south and east. Continental water sovereignty is delivered by Phase 1.
Phase 1 documentation — including the Alice Hub PHES memo, the SBC #1 and SBC #2 corridor specifications, the transcontinental aqueduct hydraulic design, and the Phase 1 financial and economic case — is in active engineering development and will be added here as released.